TIFF 2026 will open with Siân Heder’s “Being Heumann,” the Apple Original Films drama starring Ruth Madeley as pioneering disability rights activist Judy Heumann.
The film, Heder’s follow-up to her Oscar-winning “CODA,” chronicles the 1977 Section 504 sit-in protest that helped secure accessibility rights.
The 51st Toronto International Film Festival runs September 10–20, 2026.
Anthony D’Alessandro for Deadline:
Being Heumann follows Heumann as she leads more than 100 disabled people to take over the San Francisco Federal Building, kicking off a 28 day sit-in in 1977. The protestors form a tightly bound community, refusing to leave until the government enforces section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which required all federal spaces to become accessible.
Heder and Rebekah Tussing adapted the memoir. Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien, Jon Beavers, Rob Delaney, Ray Fisher and more star in the pic. David Permut, Heder, John W. Beach, Kevin Cleary and Kevin J. Walsh produce.
“We’re thrilled to open this year’s festival with Siân Heder’s inspiring follow-up to her Oscar-winning CODA,” TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said. “Being Heumann features an electric performance from Ruth Madeley in the story of Judy Heumann, a world-changing advocate for accessibility.”
MacDailyNews Note: Apple Original Films has not yet released an official trailer for Being Heumann. An official teaser or trailer from Apple is expected closer to the film’s opening night at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10th.
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